Remove
by Groves of the Pass'd
Summary: Until I shed and remove my demon self, my love for a particular human could never be perfect. But without my demonic mind and form, I would no longer be who I am as Nougami Neuro. ... Neuro x Yako.
1. Demon

**Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro**

**Demon Detective Neuro Nougami**

**Private Evil-Eye Brain-Eater Neuro. **

**GOTP'd: I don't know where I'm going with this so bear with the rambling and let's carry on! Woohoo! **

It was a warm night on the surface world. Stars glittered overhead. City lights twinkled down below, almost like a reflection of the sky. The demon was taking a nice evening stroll along the side of a tall skyscraper, silently choking on the poisonous oxygen but enjoying the breeze that moved quietly through his blonde and dark magenta hair. His stomach ached in complaint, for the demon had not taken in a worthy meal in quite some time. Every waking moment, he would search for quality food, but something tasty and high in calories never came easy for him, and when it did, he would burn up the energy so fast in the search for his next meal.

That was the problem of this strange human world. The oxygen, the poison that made the demon's throat ache when taking large breaths. The huge lack of miasma and shouki drained his energy, sapping the demonic power right out of his strong body. Over time, the demon could become seriously weak, turn him into a creature as low as a mere human. Perhaps he would even develop an appetite for food other than mysteries and puzzles. Something with real mass and something solid.

However, some of the power was still with him. The very clips he wore at the ends of his hair and on pieces of his clothing were little demon world batteries, little objects that could give him a bit of extra energy. And even within him, the demon held something of home. His eyes gave it away. Within his eyes glowed real power and demonic strength, a deep abyss of flowing blues and greens. Demon eyes. Beautiful eyes.

A bird of some sort flew past the demon, riding on the breeze. Odd, because usually at night, the birds would sleep. However the bird sparked a longing in the demon. For a moment he wished he could shed his outer clothing, and expose himself as to what he really was: a nightmare. A huge creature that could haunt one's memory with images of flashing teeth and curling horns and a giant, lethal beak, completed with long talons and feathery wings.

Oh, how much he wanted to unfurl all seventeen feet of his two huge, powerful wings and soar through the demon world sky, taking in as many large lungfuls of shouki as possible, energy rising within him.

But that was impossible. The only reason why this demon was even here on earth was to satiate his never-ending hunger with this world's myriad of puzzles. That was the most important thing to him. Food.

The demon's moment of homesickness was cut short when a sharp buzz in his pocket snapped him to reality. Groaning slightly, he picked a cell phone out and flipped it open. A text message. From the slave he had work for him. She brought him to his food and acted brilliantly as a famous detective. What could the dishrag want?

He read:

From: Yako.

Subject:_

_Hey, Neuro. I'm going home for today. So is Mr. Godai. See you tomorrow. _

The demon named Neuro closed the phone. There was no need to reply to her message. He left her to leave. It was late, and he didn't really feel like searching for mysteries at this hour. Besides, he doubted a client would come to the office now. He understood that the lowly humans would be tired. Hell, even the demon was a little tired.

The phone buzzed again.

From: Yako.

Subject: _

_I guess only Mr. Godai is going home now. Akane-chan insists I comb her before I go. _

Neuro almost grinned. Even the corpse in the wall was learning to force Yako to carry out her orders. He walked around the building once more before he started heading down, touching the ground of an alley before going back onto the street. It was mandatory in this world that he must blend in.

Neuro reached the office where he lived to find his slave just braiding the hair sprouting from the wall. The girl looked at Neuro with her odd, big brown eyes and said, "Hello, Neuro."

Neuro barely looked at her as he headed to his seat at the crimson table named Troy that was also his desk.

"You were out for awhile," Yako said, patting Akane before she stood and faced her boss. "You okay?"

"Yes," growled the demon. "I was just thinking." As he said the words, he felt his face droop just a little, felt his eyebrows come down and his nearly permanent fake smile become less believable.

Yako studied Neuro's face for a moment, before she boldly asked. "Neuro, are you... homesick?"

"Homesick?"

"Missing the demon realm?" Yako braced herself for a horrible amount of torture to repay for her dangerous question.

"In the sense that I can live healthy there, then yes. But it lacks proper food for a demon of my standards," Neuro replied. "So no." He took off his blue jacket, setting it on Troy, then reclined in the chair, crossing his nicely muscled arms behind his head.

Yako deeply wanted to ask him something that had been nagging her for quite some time. It was something that she would probably pay dearly for, and the punishment would be something properly humiliating. Neuro is never shy or sympathic, especially when there is torture, insults, pain, and punishment involved. He can be referred to as a classical sadist.

Eh, but Yako went with it anyway.

"Um, Neuro? Can demons fall in love?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Have you ever fallen in love?"

At this, the demon named Neuro was silent. He got up, crossed the room, and gazed evenly into Yako's humanly eyes. "Why should you ask, bread-crust?"

"Er, um, maybe that's one of the reason's why you look so homesick," Yako suggested timidly. Neuro gripped her head in his powerful hand, then twisted her neck, making her let out a soft cry. The negative energy from her pain flowed from her into Neuro's body, and he soaked it up in delight, even though it was such a small amount.

Neuro seemed taken aback. Of course he wasn't homesick because he missed a favorite female in the home realm. It was because he was reminded of his ability to fly. That was what he really missed. But something in Yako's words made him actually wonder.

"In love?" He murmured to her, still holding her in an uncomfortable lock. Then, he quickly leaped onto the ceiling, laid there, and looked down on his office.

Of course there were some attractive females back home, some that randomly caught Neuro's eye. However they had no depth to them. No real inner beauty. No fantastic intelligence. Nothing to really want Neuro to get to know them better.

But then there were the humans.

Suddenly Neuro's racing mind seemed to control his speech. "No, Yako. I've never fallen in love in the demon world."

"Oh," said Yako, rubbing her head with a hand from where Neuro clutched her. "Okay-"

"_But_," continued Neuro, not knowing exactly what he felt he wanted to say. "Perhaps I just realized that..." He looked at the human below, who was staring at him with wondering, big brown eyes. "I may be in love with something completely different from a demon."

His beautiful eyes bore into Yako's own, as if trying to peer into her very deep, fantastic intelligent soul.

It was then when Yako seemed to understand. "Oh, Neuro, you can't mean...!"

**Yeah, Neuro's in love with Yako. How nice. Keep on reading and drop a review! :) **

**~ Groves of the Pass'd. **


	2. Dracul

**Hello.**

**Looky here. Part Two. **

Yako nearly fell over at the demon's indirect confession of his newly realized love for her.

"Yes," said Neuro, still staring at her with his glowing teal gaze. "Yako."

Yako didn't know what to say. She wanted to leave. Leave this office. Get away from the demon that pretty much owned her blood and think about the situation. Nougami Neuro, in love with her? The world must be ending.

"I'm going home," Yako declared, gathering herself and moving towards the door, gripping the doorknob hard and turning it with a loud click. "See you tommorow, Neuro."

Neuro let his slave go without a word. Once she was out of sight, the demon frowned, curling his lip, showing his large, pointy fangs.

What the hell was he doing? Telling the slug he loved her? _What? _It was just strange. He had never felt anything like this before. It was not a churning tug in his stomach. It was more like a desire to keep her all to himself, to not let her go, to not let her see anyone else. Almost like an obsession. He'll have to confront the awkwardness between them tomorrow. So, for now, he broke open the windows and jumped onto the side of the building, to go watch the strange night birds fly by again.

(**Tomorrow**)

Yako came first the next afternoon, after her day of school. Neuro had been searching the internet, newspapers, and the television channels all day for a mystery to solve and eat. Nothing. Nothing to investigate. Neuro was beginning to fear that earth had really nothing worth eating anymore, but he had no time to truly fret before Katsuragi Yako nervously appeared through the door.

Neuro glanced at his slave as she removed her jacket and straightened the large red bow on her school uniform.

"No mysteries? That's a first. You never let me have a whole school day with no interruptions." Yako spoke first, sounding normal, but her brown gaze kept flickering and would not meet her master's.

"No," the demon replied bluntly. "It's too bad. Because I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," said Yako with the same amount of bluntness. But, it was the same with her as well. The girl had a seemingly bottomless stomach, consuming huge amounts of food that impressed most humans and sometimes even Neuro.

Sometimes Neuro was jealous of Yako's luxuries. She could usually eat as much as she wanted, usually whenever she wanted, unlike himself who could only eat as much as possible whenever possible. That was one of the reasons Neuro liked to interrupt her meals whenever a mystery came their way.

Yako settled at her desk, while the demon stayed at his own chair, his eyes examining the computer screen, checking all major news websites.

"I'm glad you don't stare," muttered Yako, grinning just a little.

"Hm?" The demon wondered, not really paying attention. "Why should I stare at you, ugly wood lice?"

Yako ran her hand through her choppy golden hair. "Well, sometimes when a person is in love with someone else, he would stare at her without even really noticing it."

"Oho? Is that the way humans show affection for one another?"

"Not really. I would just assume you're interested in me. It doesn't show affection between two people." Yako blinked. She doubted the way Neuro loved her was really the way a human would love her. The demon seemed to have different forms of different emotions.

"Ah. Should I stare at you then?"

"Since you're in love with me?" Yako said, even though she knew the answer.

Neuro didn't say anything. He didn't have to confess his love when the girl already knew his answer. "Or should I bite off your tongue?" He said instead.

Yako's gaze slid over to the demon. "You _what_?" Bite off her tongue?

She was about to interject when Neuro spoke again. "You will never manage to bite off mine." He smiled with evil intent.

"Neuro, what are you talking about?"

"You know," Neuro said quickly. "The way humans generally show their affections. With the lips and the tongues and the biting." The demon had no word for these actions.

Something suddenly clicked in Yako's mind. "You mean... kissing?" It seemed somewhat like what Neuro was trying to say. Her mind suddenly brought up horrible images of what would happen if they would ever kiss. She could imagine her tongue being bitten off, Neuro sucking the blood off her lips-she shuddered, shutting the image down hard.

She wasn't even in love with the demon. He had no right to kiss her. She should not have to kiss him.

Except she was his slave, and she should bend to his every whim. "Neuro, you don't bite off people's tongues when you kiss. In fact, mutilation is frowned upon in human culture. It really isn't a good way to show affection." The demon chuckled quietly to himself as Yako continued, "Heh. If you think that's how humans show affection, I don't think I want to know how demons show it."

Neuro, of course, said it anyway. "If I didn't follow these human customs so carefully, I'd try to mate you."

"Oh."

"I didn't think that would fit in so much with you humans," replied Neuro. "However I'm still fairly young, and have not mated any female before." The demon eyed her carefully, as if he was tempted to change his mind. Yako shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

It was then when the demon abruptly got up, went around his desk, and stood before the girl. With one gloved hand , he gripped the underside of her chin, bringing it up towards his face. He dropped down in front of her, and pushed his lips into hers.

"Uh! Neuro!" Gasped Yako before she was taken over by his passionate kiss. It was fantastic, her first, even. To her surprise, his lips were soft, warm and a bit wet too, quite like a normal human's.

Neuro was in love with her.

But she wasn't in love with him.

And Yako didn't want to kiss him.

But Neuro could easily overpower her.

Not in love.

No.

In love?

Maybe.

Maybe now?

It was a simple bliss that took over the two of them. Naturally the human Yako closed her dazzled brown eyes. Neuro kept his open, blinking heavily but still peering at the girl whom he loved.

Yako felt Neuro's warm breath as he exhaled raggedly through his nose on her cheek, and she assumed he could feel hers.

Then, Neuro moved backwards and upwards, unlocking their lips and pulling back. His handsome, angular face suddenly seemed so serene as he looked at her with swirling teal eyes. A tiny grin marked the edges of his lips, and his dark maroon eyebrows were relaxed. It was the look of satisfaction. It was the look of a demon in love.

"You foolish human, don't you know who you're dealing with? I am the man who ate all of Hell's mysteries," Neuro said swiftly. But then he added very softly, "Of course I know how to kiss."

It was right then when Yako's eyes widened, and to her horror, her face flushed with a deep crimson, burning her cheeks. When she looked at Nougami Neuro, she knew it, oh she knew it damn well that her very own, favorite demon loved her.

Neuro angled his face downwards, nearly putting his head under her chin. With half closed eyes, he murmured gently, "I love you, stupid dishrag."

And then, something in the atmosphere suddenly snapped, because Yako suddenly realized that she loved him back. It warmed her heart and nearly brought tears to her eyes.

"And I you," she murmured back just as gently. "I love you too... Neuro."

**YAY. **

**Have this oddly deformed cookie. **

**...**

**No you can't really have it. Just keep reading and review! :)  
**

**~Groves of the Pass'd. **


	3. Cyren

**PART THREE, YIPPIE. **

**MOAR NEURO CUTENESS IN**

**3,**

**2,**

**1.**

Rain. Wind. Flashes of electricity in the black and gray skies. A bright and vivid city was quieting down as the residents fled for shelter from the gathering storm. They gathered into shops and homes and restaurants in various buildings, tall and small alike. Among these buildings was an office edifice, containing many people along with a schoolgirl detective, a yakuza man, a corpse in the wall, and a slowly weakening demon.

"It's raining really hard," Yako said as she glanced out the window behind the desks.

"Yes," Neuro replied rather half-heartedly. His mind was far away as he was numbly gazing at the far wall. Yako glanced at her boss, the demon Neuro. Her heart fluttered as she remember his lips meeting hers and staring into his hynotic teal eyes as he confessed that he loved her. She remembered saying that she loved him too. It made her heart shake with such strange feeling. How could a demon and a human be in love? A relationship as a loving couple could never exist between them. Neuro was a forceful demon, very commanding. He could kill her without meaning to if he was never careful.

But Neuro was careful. He was gentle as he pulled her into a kiss. He had warm, wet lips. A soft red velvet glove slow and careful as he tipped up her chin.

With a sliver of guilt, she realized that to kiss the demon again was something she really wanted. It had been nearly two weeks since that afternoon. Both Neuro and Yako had not mentioned the occasion, and they rarely met gazes. Neuro still treated her like normal with clients and around the office, for somehow, her torture gave him energy. Yako put up with the torment though, because the demon hardly ever ate a good meal. She liked him enough for him to use her to live.

Mr. Godai, a former man of the Japanese mafia, now a head of the financial underworld and a secretary and security guard of the office, had barely noticed the tension between the two, and the human and demon were grateful that Godai was so shallow.

"I don't think anyone's gonna come," Godai said, sitting at his desk near the door, his feet on the table. He rolled his finger on the mouse wheel to his computer. "Not in this weather. And it's already late. I'm leaving." He got up abruptly, taking his jacket off the coat rack and put it on, then left the office with a swagger.

"A pity," Neuro said as he watched Godai leave. "I'm hungry, and a slave has left his master to starve." The demon pretended to look disappointed, while inside he didn't care about Godai, and he agreed with the human. He probably would not get any meals tonight.

"Oh please," sighed Yako with exasperation. She smiled though, at Neuro's act. Then, she went over and seated herself at the sofa, letting out a little sigh. She stretched her arms over her head. She would have liked to go home, maybe eat something, but her daily work hours here at the office were not yet complete.

Neuro watched the girl, averting his eyes from his own computer screen. He blankly searched the news websites while playing a trivia game on the internet in which he was easily beating. "Don't think you can relax," he told Yako. "You still-" Neuro was cut off as the lights flickered out. The air conditioning stopped. The computers went dark. Akane flailed in surprise.

Neuro turned around the look out the window. The storm was getting worse. Rain pelted the window and hail harshly struck the street below. He grinned as he spotted Godai down below, running to find an awning.

"Electricity's out," said Yako glumly in the dark of the room only illuminated by lightning.

"It seems there's a blackout in this section of the city," Neuro said. He tapped his hand on his desk. Now he wouldn't be able to search online for a mystery. He had already checked and rechecked various newspapers and articles in magazines. Now there was nothing to do.

Usually when the two servants-Yako and Godai-had gone home for the night, Neuro would still search for food, then sleep on the couch for a few hours. Without really realizing it, the demon let out a yawn, stretching out his tongue and curled his lips to show his teeth. Then, he quickly shut it down. There is no reason to let Yako see this.

Yako heard the yawn and turned her head. In this dark she couldn't see Neuro, but Neuro could see her sly grin.

"You're tired, Neuro. Why don't you sleep?" She asked, moving over on the couch to give him room. Of course, he would need her to leave, since he was very tall and his feet went way over the side when he lay down.

Neuro's eyes were glowing in the darkness, and her offer seemed very inviting. The lack of light was making him tired. And this was an open oppertunity to share space witht the girl again. He knew he wanted to be close to her, feel her warm human heat, the soft happy aura she gave off. The very aura that would do nothing to fill his hungry stomach. He wanted to go over.

And so he did. He got up and sat beside the girl. Their sides touched. Yako put her head on his arm and closed her eyes while taking hold on his hand. Neuro yawned again as Yako let out a small chuckle. She linked one of her arms in his.

Neuro didn't know why he was so tired. It was not like he used up so much demonic energy. As Yako linked their arms, a thought suddenly came to his mind. _Perhaps I am becoming human._ The thought made his heart jump. That was the last thing he wanted. To lose his demon form and self. To shed and remove who he was. If he was no longer demon, he would no longer be Nougami Neuro.

But Yako was beside him and putting herself into his power. She was resting in his side between his body and his arm. She was in love with him. _But is she in love with the demonic me? Or the human part of me? _But she was putting herself-the human that _he_ loved-open to him. He decided to put his worries aside for now, and enjoy the affection he was being given. He was so tired.

Neuro closed his eyes, nearly falling asleep with Yako beside him. The human girl hummed some tune quietly. It made Neuro's mind drift off. He let out a long sigh, maybe the longest he had ever let out before. He was a demon who had seen so much, done so much, felt so much, and he wasn't even old. He deserved to sigh like that.

In a daze, he rubbed his cheek against Yako's. They were both beginning to doze, being lulled to sleep by the lashing wind and rain. Neuro rubbed and nuzzled, breathing in her warm, sweet humanly scent. He gave her face a fond little lick with the tip of his tongue. Yako let out a tiny sqeak and wrapped her arms around the demon while pushing her head into his side. Neuro in turn decided to give in to sleepy atmosphere and settled his head on top of hers. He inhaled and exhaled against her golden hair.

They fell asleep on the couch comfortably.

**The out of characterness is killing me. Keep reading and review.**


	4. Mermaid

**Rawr! Part 4!**

"Oh, finally!" Yako gushed in relief as the waiter set down plates of icy sushi in front of her and Yako's best friend, Kanae. "I'm starving!"

"School is finally over," Kanae sighed as she picked up her chopsticks. "11th grade-complete!" She excitedly bounced in her chair. ''One more year until we go to university!"

The girls laughed and chatted while they had their dinner. Yako had to order two more rolls. Then, the two of them went to get some ice cream, and they sat outside, watching the people go by in the warm summer evening.

"So," Kanae started after she wiped the vanilla ice cream off her lip. "How'd you like to come to the beach this Sunday, Yako? For a little summer vacation party? I've invited a bunch of people. Kichirou is coming." Kichirou is Kanae's newest boyfriend.

"Yeah! I don't think I have anything planned," Yako agreed while taking another spoonful of her own strawberry ice cream.

Kanae waggled her eyebrows. "If you want, your assistant can come too." She gave Yako a sly smile.

Yako blushed a little. It would be fun if Neuro could come with them. But he may be distracted by a mystery or something and may drag Yako away. "Don't fret, Kanae, there's nothing going on between us." Yako lied good-heartedly through her smile with a hint to a teasing tone.

"Oh, I'm sure," Kanae replied with the same amount of playfulness.

They continued to eat.

**(Tomorrow(Friday))**

"Hey, Neuro," Yako said casually, leaning against Neuro's desk with her elbows. "Want to go to the beach on Sunday with a few of my friends?"

Neuro looked at Yako with swirling teal eyes. "Why not? Maybe a puzzle will appear." He rubbed his chin. "As long as my time with you silly humans doesn't make me into one."

"I'm sure you'll be fine."

Neuro then got up to squeeze her head. A usual daily act.

Yako stared at her love as he put her into her usual daily agony. He was in his usual daily attire. Same blue suit, as usual. Same white vest and tie, like usual. Same shiny black shoes. _As freaking usual!_

"Just don't go in that outfit," said Yako as Neuro flicked her head and put some kind of probably flamable material into her hair. "You should go get some new clothes once in awhile. People don't _usually_ go to the beach in a suit."

"I have other clothes," Neuro replied rather indignantly. He had _one_ other pair. Just a plain button down shirt and a pair of jeans.

"At least wear shorts. It's summer." Yako added.

"I don't feel heat as uncomfortable as you do," Neuro snapped while twisting her neck with a loud crack that made Akane flap on the wall with concern. Neuro resisted the terrible temptation to bend down and kiss the girl.

"C'mon, Neuro, we should go shopping," Yako exclaimed excitedly. "You can wear your white shirt, and if you're going in the water, you should wear bathing shorts." Yako doubted Neuro had ever worn swimwear. He was a demon. A bird demon that had no need for clothes in the demon realm. When they went to the hot springs (the only time Neuro got into water on the Overworld), Neuro went off on his own. Most likely he went in in demon form. Or he didn't wear clothes. Or maybe he wore his suit and it burned off in the ridiculously high temperature and he patched it with his demonic powers.

If Neuro was to swim at the beach, he'd need proper clothing. To fit in with the other humans.

**(Tomorrow(Saturday))**

"You're getting punished for this, louse," Neuro growled as Yako dragged him to the department store. He was definitely unhappy with the situation.

They found the mens department quickly, and Yako helped Neuro sift through pairs of swim trunks for the demon to wear. Yako was occupied with the shopping, picking out all sizes and colors and holding it up to Neuro's waist. It was as if she was deciding which piece of art to hang on a wall.

While Yako was busy with the clothes, Neuro spent his time looking around the department. He watched other men shop and women help the men shop and bored children running around the clothing shelves as their parents shopped.

"Try these on, Neuro," Yako directed, shoving a few brightly colored swimming shorts and a pair of sandals at him. Neuro took them, frowning, and was led to the fitting room. Yako waited patiently outside, tapping her fingers at her sides.

"How do they look?" She inquired from the stool she was sitting upon. She heard a _click_, and out came Neuro.

He was wearing the blue shorts Yako picked. He still had on his white vest and tie, but the shorts revealed half his legs. They were incredibly thin but also muscled, hairless or with hair so pale Yako couldn't see it. Neuro wore the sandals, a perfect fit on his feet. He still didn't look happy with the situation.

"Can we leave?" The demon asked with a hint of a whine.

Yako, still staring at Neuro's change of clothes, nodded with a rosy tint on her cheeks.

"You're getting punished for this, louse," Neuro growled, reminding her that he was still the demon. Still _a demon. _

_Still a demon._

_Still a demon._

_Still a demon._

_Still a demon._

_Still_

_demon. _

_I am still demon, yet I am trying on swimwear with the human I love. _

_Hmmm... do I still love her after this?_

_..._

_Yeah. I do. _

**I have a challenge for authors! Write a oneshot (minimum 800 words) about Yako taking Neuro someplace, except she is taking him to that place where having a demon is a very bad idea (for example: a plane in the economy section) The winner will be announced later!**

**- Remember when I said I wouldn't continue this? Well, I'm continuing it. A lot. **

**~Groves of the Pass'd.**

**~Groves of the Pass'd. (because I think I forgot to sign off at the last Part)**


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